From the peak of the Lori tower, Dammar look out over the surrounding plain, it's dark earth bleak and uninviting, not many people ventured across it's barren expanse. Yet below the temple of mercy was the busy mass of people that mark the life of an average town. For this was the city of Sinlari, marked in it's center by a tower of green, where all people we're welcomed and accepted as equals, the disfigured and the maimed the hunted and the haunted all made there homes here, under the protection of the goddess. Dammar remembered clearly the day he arrived from his home forest.
The forest was his home, it had had no name, it simply was simply known as home to all the elves who lived there, their graceful movements never disturbing a leaf in the forest, there beauty as bright as the rays of light shining through the canopy of leaves. Yet Dammar was different, From his birth he was shunned by the rest of the woods people, his crime was ugliness, they were not opposed to his existence, they simply ignored it. His parents we're his only comfort, they cared nothing about his looks and raised him to be the most that he could be.
However as he grew older his quick witted nature put him many difficult situations where despite all attempts of talk he had to resort to fighting to defend himself, and although he refused to lift a blade he became proficient at fighting barehand. It was during one such encounter that Dammar first encountered the Sands, a chance remark to a local lad about the correct way to spell letters degenerated into a scuffle where he was severely out numbered, but during the fight a figure stepped forth and gestured at the boys each one began to float higher and higher until each was as high as the leafy canopy. That man became his friend and it was from him that Dammar learnt of the sands. After much thought and persuasion his parents let him leave the forest to continue his education else where.
His chosen element was that of wind and air.
After much study he became proficient in it's use but the more he learned the more he yearned to know more, to see the Aros wall itself. In memory of the man who had saved him and shown him mercy he learned of Sinlari and took her as deity.
The man that befriended Dammar gave him a single note when he left and granted him good fortune. He begged Dammar not to read it till he began his journey.
About a day after his journey began Dammar decided it was time to read the note. Inside the note was a packet with some white elemental sand and on the note was written.
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Voiceless it cries, wingless it flutters, toothless bites, mouthless mutters.
It passes before the sun and makes no shadow and is all about, but cannot be seen, it can be captured, but cannot be held.
To find what you seek you must learn to depend, call on yourself, call on a friend. The search you begin, may not have an end. Use your voice and then use this sand.
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A strange mark is on the bottom of the page and it seems most of the sand was sticking to it until it fell off. It was unsigned.
Dammar sits in his camp wondering on what he should do, with nothing to do he tries to understand a bit more of the note. Dammar puts the sand, that he was given by the man, in his hand and recites the poem that was written on the note. Perhaps it would take him somewhere or does something as his traveling was getting him nowhere. Maybe the symbol has some relevance, magic perhaps, it seems to attract sand, but of such matters Dammar had no knowledge, if only he could find someone who did.
So Dammar reads the note.
"Voiceless it cries, wingless it flutters, toothless bites, mouthless mutters.
It passes before the sun and makes no shadow and is all about, but cannot be seen, it can be captured, but cannot be held.
To find what you seek you must learn to depend, call on yourself, call on a friend. The search you begin, may not have an end. Use your voice and then use this sand."
As Dammar speaks the words with the sands in his hand, the sands slowly drift out of his hand and down to the paper. As the sands drift down to the paper they form over the symbol that was drawn at the bottom of it. As the last of the sands reach the paper Dammar feels a weightlessness grab him. A slight breeze ruffles his clothes and hair as he seems to enter somewhere wonderful. The world around him begins to shimmer and shift as if he was looking through some intense heat but he feels cool and comfortable. His gut feels as if he was rising but the view given allows no point of reference to prove this reaction. It seems as if he is flying, but it cannot be said for sure.
It could have been moments or hours later but finally Dammar’s feet feel something stable underneath them. The shimmering around him slowly fades as it reveals a wonderful glenn surrounded by forest. As the shimmering completely fades it looks like a small pond is in the center. At Dammar’s feet there is the symbol that was on the paper mirrored on a piece of carved rock. The paper and all of his belongings are still with him and it seems as if the stars are in the same position.
Upon closer inspection of the pond it is not water that Dammar has been brought to but a pile of white sand.
Dammar walks towards the white sand carefully, suspicious of why there is so much sand on the ground, curios also of why the stars had not moved. If nothing else happens then Dammar will take some of the sand and put it in his sand bag, shutting it tightly, thankful to the man for his gift and kindness.
Dammar wonders among the trees and wonders where he is, if the stars had not moved then he should be in the same place yet he could not remember ever hearing or seeing this place before, another dimension perhaps. His mind reels at the possibilities and also at the amount of sand in the clearing.
Dammar decides to try magic to travel again, hopeful that it will take him somewhere equally as wondrous or just back to the road. Holding a handful of sand about the same as before he will recite the poem again to see if casting it again will reverse the traveling effect.
"Voiceless it cries, wingless it flutters, toothless bites, mouthless mutters.
It passes before the sun and makes no shadow and is all about, but cannot be seen, it can be captured, but cannot be held.
To find what you seek you must learn to depend, call on yourself, call on a friend. The search you begin, may not have an end. Use your voice and then use this sand."
As Dammar speaks the words with the sands in his hand, the sands slowly seem to drift out of his hand and down to the stone. As the sands drift down to the stone they form over the symbol that was drawn on it. As the last of the sands reach the stone Dammar feels a weightlessness grab him. A slight breeze ruffles his clothes and hair as he seems to enter somewhere wonderful. It is the same feeling as before.
As his feet hit the ground and the shimmering air leaves, at his feet there is the same rock with the symbol on it.
Dammar, seeing this does not work decides to try his own spell.
"As the wind does blow and gust it travels far in silent hush From town to town through rivers wild It talks and whispers to man and child
Take me where the wind would go places that I desire to know To people that I am willed to meet and creatures that I wish to greet."
As these words come from his mouth again the same thing happens and he finds himself at the same spot as before.
Dammar understanding that this will not work tries to find a hint of a way back or of where he is.
As Dammar searches the area at the far side of the glenn he finds another rock with a different symbol on it. It is the same type of rock as the other except for the symbol. This symbol looks like a stick figured house with a line going from one side to the other. Unlike the other rock though this one seems newer. It does not have as much weather wear as the other.
Dammar refills his bag with the White Elemental Sand and casts the spell on the note while standing on this second symbol.
Dammar begins casting using the same words as the last time and the same thing happens as he feels himself being raised off the ground.
When Dammar comes back to the ground and the air clears, he finds that he is in another clearing, this time the stars position has changed. As Dammar looks around he sees that the symbol by his feet does indeed match the one that was in the first clearing with the sand although this symbol was traced in the earth itself. It is fairly fresh because the topsoil is still a rich black color as if it was just disturbed. There is a small trail leading out of the clearing. The rest of the clearing is surrounded by woods that could be traveled through without much trouble.
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